PacificN:

Don't misunderstand me and conclude that I am anti hatchery. I understand that without hatcheries we would have precious few fishing opportunities. Marking hatchery fish is a great improvement over the old days when the harvest of unmarked hatchery fish contributed significantly to the over harvest of wild fish.

We need hatcheries. But we do not need to say that the presence of hatchery fish negates the need to try to protect wild runs.

All I am saying is that I do not want a decision on the need to protect wild fish based upon the abundance of hatchery fish.

I am aware of some innovative program to restore wild fish that are based, at least in part on use of hatcheries to protect brood stock and even to supplement, temporarily, wild runs. But simply calling a hatchery fish a wild fish will not help our wild runs.